Weary Workers

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared nationwide lockdown on
24 March 2020 thousands of migrant workers in different cities became
restless due to lack of food and essentials for their daily living. Neither the
Government officials nor those who employed them bothered about their
livelihood when they lost their daily work. Thousands of
them started moving out leaving the large cities to
reach their homes in far away villages in different states. Neither the
lack of transport facilities nor the long distance stopped
them. They started walking through roads. But when police started beating them
for breaking the lockdown rules they took the railway tracks to
walk. Men and women ventured out carrying their little children and
luggage.

Neither those who were running the government nor their
employers were sensitive to them. If the politicians and bureaucrats who
were running the government had sensitivity and foresight they could have
first arranged transport for those who wanted to leave the cities
for their homes before declaring the lockdown.

Despite thousands walking hundreds of kilometres neither the
political leaders nor those in government bothered about
their hardships. Reports say that 42 workers were killed in
road accidents within a few days. When 16 workers were run over by
a goods train at Satana village near Aurangabad on 8th May
morning governments and politicians were woken up. It is an insult that
the MP Chief Minister fixed Rs. 5 lakh as the price for the
life of each dead person. May be because they were poor. The
irony is that the Government decided to send a special train to ferry the dead
bodies to their village.

Despite thousands of workers started walking from different cities those
who run the government were not sensitive to make arrangements
for their transportation for many weeks. At last when the trains were
arranged for the workers to go home they were charged heavily.

Different state governments were prompt to arrange hundreds of buses to
bring the students back from the coaching centres of Kota in Rajasthan.
Was it because the children belonged to rich families ? As per the
records India has 487 million workers in unorganized sector which contribute
largely for the economic growth of the country. Half of them belong to
the category of migrant workers. Neither those who employ them nor the labour
department of the Government bother to provide them decent living
conditions and other essential facilities in the cities where they are
employed and exploited. Hence they wanted to escape and reach their
homes.

While discussing about the problems of migrant workers walking in
the hot sun one of my friends asked, “where are the social workers and
church organisations? Why can’t they do something for
their transportation?” This question provided food for contemplation. I
realized that many of us may not be able to intervene in this major
issue of millions of migrant workers in our individual capacity for
various reasons. However I felt that this issue need to be addressed at
our community and institutional level. We are quick to
criticise the Government and politicians for their failures . Each
one of us have much to look into our way of life and value system at this time.

The religious communities and institutions employ workers.
Many of them are from far away villages of the same state or from other
states. They leave their dear and near ones in search of employment
and livelihood. Many who work with us also are migrant workers. We
may be paying them wages, giving a place to stay and food to eat. The most
important question we need to answer is, “what are the ways
we make them feel at home? Do we provide them freedom, love and
individual dignity which make them even to forget their home in a distant
region?”

When many priests and religious come to USM community for exposure and
training they are inspired to see the responsibility with
which the workers who serve in the house behave ; the
freedom, dignity and joy they experience in the community. They eat
the same food at the same table like anybody else in the community. They
have the freedom to watch TV whenever they wish, they have the freedom
to laugh and sing as they wish. They decide the menu of each
meal. They themselves purchase the provisions. There is no one to
supervise them yet they manage their work well with
self discipline and punctuality. They also join all the prayers
like all others in the community , lead the prayers and operate the music
system as in their homes. They experience dignity and
receive very decent and just salary. They welcome the guests
and make them at home as responsible community members.

Another point of reflection and introspection would be about
the responsibility and loyalty of Sisters and Priests to
their community. Whenever I have asked to many religious Sisters and
Priests about their emotional attachment to the mission , a
vast majority promptly of them have said that they were more emotionally
attached to their families than to their religious community
.

The members of a religious community also belong to
different states and regions of this vast country. After long years of
formation they make their commitment to the Congregation. The question is,
why don’t they feel at home in the religious community and always thinking
of the near and dear ones at home?

Superiors of the communities always complain that the members do
not have loyalty and commitment to the community and mission. Rules are
made to control the ‘misuse’ of freedom and resources by the members who
have made life commitment to the community. Superiors often make the
so called ‘visitation’ to communities more to supervise and control than
to motivate.

When the members of the community do not experience dignity,
freedom, love and compassion they will not know how to express the
same values to the workers in their communities and institutions. Neither
they are aware of the plight of the millions of migrant workers in
different parts of India nor will they give dignity and justice to those
who work for them. Where there are more rituals, rules, imposed austerity
and violation of individual dignity, there workers and members suffer
more injustice and exploitation.

Though we cannot intervene in the case of millions of migrant
workers in the country to improve their condition, religious communities
and members could resolve to create an atmosphere where
every worker may feel at home and experience the freedom , individual
dignity and justice. Why don’t the communities create an
atmosphere of feel at home for all their members and experience
freedom and facilities of a home?

The criteria of all practices should be based on this test
: What would Jesus do if He were here ? What is the mind of Christ? What
is the heart of Christ? This is the way to return to Christo centric way
of life and mission.

Then the distinction of workers and members will
disappear and the community mission will be more fruitful .
Neither the workers who have come from far away states feel
helpless to stay and work in the community nor the community
members look for emotional attachment to their family staying
in far away regions .

The plight of millions of migrant workers in the
country should help us to review our commitment
to renew and reinvent ourselves for building the
kingdom of God here and now.